Nyteria Rising (The Thirteenth Series Book 3) (21 page)

“Taran, Alsom, please take our friends and find them somewhere to rest,” Sam instructed. “Val, Zac, Daniel, Wendy, Boden and Hadwyn, come with us.”

“Val.” Susan looked to her daughter.

“Mum, it’ll be fine,” she reassured her.

There was an air of concern around them as they ascended and Wendy gripped Daniel’s hand. They were welcomed into the main chamber where Enoch and his followers ushered them into the room of technology. “Look for yourselves.” He pointed at the screens.

Oddly, everything looked normal. Nothing was destroyed or ravaged by weapons. There were no dead bodies lying around or any sign of what Val had come to expect of war from television and movies. These people had used an invisible weapon to bring the planet to its knees. Val watched as streams of Guards were led away by Nyterians. The Guards seemed powerless to resist them. “Well, he wanted the power and he clearly has it, but why aren’t they fighting back? What is Nathan going to do?” Val asked.

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” Sam said.

“How?” Val asked him.

“By going to the surface.”

“That’s crazy. What if they capture us? What about the virus? What if they find out about this place?”

“We have no choice. Enoch, get ready for us to leave.” Sam gave his orders.

“Val,” a nervous voice called from the entrance.

“Hello,” she greeted David’s Hunter. “Is everything ok?”

He was out of breath. “Well, no,” he panted. “Not really. David just stood up and teleported out.”

Val looked at the Hunter. “Did you just say that David teleported out?”

“Yes, he just stood up and was gone.” He exhaled again, shock and horror written across his face.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked.

“I think we may have brought a passenger with us. Please excuse me. Take me to the others. Come on Zac.” The Hunter led them briskly down towards the group who were standing in a state of confusion, now aiming weapons at Lailah and Eva’s still bodies.

“He was lying here.” The Hunter pointed to a now vacant spot.

“Zac, when you originally checked for Flo, did you keep her signal?” Val asked.

He began moving his watch in a circular motion. “Yes, all new signals are recorded for later analysis. Do you think she was in David?”

“Well, you said that dead people couldn’t go back to the Prison, but this was the perfect opportunity to escape Earth and it explains the arrival of the envelope from Delta.”

Mike moved in. “Is Flo the dead girl with the long curly hair?”

“Yes, she’s also one of the oldest, but why come with us?” Val asked Zac.

“I’m not sure. Delta clearly wanted us off the planet, so was this planned. But what did they hope to achieve? They have no magic; Flo has no powers apart from teleporting - they were taken from her by Excariot.” He looked puzzled.

“What about the books?” Jason said. “Would they be of any use to them?”

“Oh my God!” Val’s eyes darted around looking for them. “Where’s the Dellatrax!?” she cried. Everyone moved, frantically looking for the books, but Val already knew it was too late. She pushed her head into her hands and sunk to the floor. “She’s won again.”

“Yes, it was Flo.” Zac sat next to her allowing her to see a completely non-descriptive white line on his screen.

“Why does this keep happening to us?” She stared at her stupid black boots.

“Because we are on the right track. If we weren’t then no one would bother with us,” Zac said.

“What’s going on?” Sam, Boden and Hadwyn approached the group.

“Flo stole the Dellatrax from under our noses,” Val moaned.

“Fine, we have bigger things to worry about now. We can deal with them later.”

Val buried her head deeper between her knees. “Seriously, Sam, I spend my life dealing with things later.”

He clearly had no time for her self-pity. “We’ll break into two groups. Wendy, Daniel, Boden and Hadwyn stay here. Jason you go to Enoch’s with your equipment; we’ll need your ears and eyes on the surface. We really
don’t know what’s happening up top and we need a strong force here in case we don’t return. Zac, Val and I will go up. There’s no time to worry about Flo or anyone left on Earth because if Nathan has his way, Earth will be one of his targets.”

Val knew Sam was right, and she liked the idea of the others staying to protect her parents. She stood and searched the group for her mum, where was she? “Sam, can I say goodbye to my Mum?”

“Of course but be quick,” he replied, whilst giving orders to the others. She raised her eyes to see over the crowd, but still nothing. Had Flo taken her as well? “MUM!” Val yelled as she walked away from the others.

“Val, she went with the little boy with one wheel.” Mike signalled to Taran’s little room in the cave side.

Peeking through the entrance Val saw her mum sitting on the stone bed as Taran proudly showed her his pictures. “So where are your Mum and Dad?” Susan asked.

Taran turned on his wheel and moved closer to Susan, “I don’t have any parents, but it’s ok because Shane comes to see me and I have Sam and everyone here.” He leaned on Susan’s leg and Val watched as her mum moved his hair behind his ear. Someone was going to have to tell him about Shane, but she knew her mum wouldn’t do it now. It was still too raw for them all.

“Guess what? I’m going to be here for a while, so what about you showing me how things run here and I’ll look after you in exchange? I’m a very good cook.”

Taran leaned back out of her reach. “You want to stay with me?” his voice held fear and hope.

“Well, my daughter is all grown up and is busy saving the world and your Prison, and I guess I need someone
who needs me right now, so how’s about we make that you?” Susan’s words were full of love, soft and gentle. Val loved her mum so much. She realised Sam was right. She did have something special. No wonder Delta had wanted to take it away.

Taran wheeled closer. “I would like that.” He placed his head on her shoulder and they were just still. Val turned, she would go and sort the problems on the surface out now.

Sam and Zac were ready to leave when she returned. “Dad, I left Mum with Taran. She was busy; tell her I’ll be back later.” She embraced him.

“You know, Val, this place has potential,” Mike grinned. Val could see his builder cogs spinning.

“No time like the present to build the world of your dreams, Dad.”

He hugged her. “Remember you’re always my little girl,” he whispered in her ear.

“Dad.” She nudged him. “I’m ready to go. What’s the plan?”

Sam interrupted, “Val, Zac we head back to the surface through the room we entered before. Zac will be able to monitor the situation from there. We find the Warden and any of the High Judges who have survived the attack. They would have been the first people Nathan went for, because they’re the most powerful.”

They made their way to the door; it was already open. “Seems Flo was born in a barn,” Val said.

Alsom looked at the door in surprise. “I closed it!” he said in his teenage defence.

“It’s ok.” Sam patted him on the shoulder. “Close it after we leave.”

Hadwyn made his way over to Val. “I think your weapon is weak. You should try to manifest a gun; they’re faster and more precise.” Val took this as an emotional goodbye. “Maybe one of your cannons or a machine gun?”

“Her weapon is fine.” Boden nudged him out of the way. “Be brave, be strong and come back. We will be following your every move.”

They made their way out into the greyness and stood together in a circle. “Val, are you ready?” She nodded. “Zac?” He bowed his head. “Then let’s go.” Sam took their hands and they were on their way to the surface.

Sam pushed open the door to the Prison and the atmosphere they entered was one of despair. He signalled for them to move and they joined a line of Guards who were being transported. There were several hundred all moving together along the corridor. No resistance, no fighting, just moving.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked the Guard next to him, who had allowed them to enter the line. “Judge, leave now, get out.” His eyes met Sam’s and they were full of fear. “He has killed our souls. We can’t fight, we have no power. There is nothing we can do. The only ones left with power are the High Judges and has taken them prisoner.” They kept up the pace not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

“Tell me more about what’s happened. Why can’t you fight?”

The young man glanced down the line to make sure they weren’t being observed. “They are saying it came in
the air. They filled the Prison with poison. Not enough to kill us, but enough to immobilise our inner Guard.”

“How’s that possible?” Val asked.

“We have looked at a similar airborne technology, but we never used it for fear of the consequences. That is why we opted for extractions. We couldn’t be sure of the effects on the masses,” Sam explained.

“So if the Nyterians invented the extraction process this is going to be their other way of working…” Val knew she was right, “…which means if they can keep you all docile and unable to fight, they can use the physical form of extraction to increase the energy levels.”

“If this is affecting all Guards, will it affect Val?” Zac asked Sam.

“I don’t know, but it seems the Judges have kept their powers or he wouldn’t have kept them separately from the others. Where’s the Warden?” Sam asked.

The Guard’s head dropped. “He’s the example for us all.”

Sam grabbed his arm. “What are you saying?”

The Guard pointed up. “He fought to keep control, but we couldn’t help him.” Sam saw him first. Then Val gasped out loud. Zac pulled her to keep moving. At the highest point of the corridor a flickering image of the Warden was projected for all to see. If Val had thought the way he looked before on Nyteria was bad, this beat it a hundredfold. He was slumped, suspended in a cage, battered, bloody and bruised.

“We need to get him out,” Val demanded.

“We will, when the time is right,” Sam said, grabbing her hand and pulling them through the crowd. He knew the planet better than Val and in the flick of his wrist they had moved from the line into another room.

“Did you see him?” Val’s face filled with anger. “What are we going to do?”

“First check your powers are intact. I’m hoping your human witch DNA will hold you together.”

Val started a flame on her hand. “Seems ok.” Then she extended her sword. “Well at last being a reject has come in handy.”

“Zac, the Warden. Where is he?”

He checked his watch. “He’s in the teleportation room.”

“Good, there are far too many people watching him. We’ll need to find the High Judges and get them out first. Do you have a sample of the air?”

Zac tapped at this watch. “Yes, but how can we work with this in the place you call the Space?”

“You would be amazed at what they can do. I need you to take that information back to the others.”

“You want me to leave, Val?” His voice filled with concern.

“Without that data, we don’t stand a chance. Tell Boden and Hadwyn they mustn’t come to the surface.”

“Zac, he’s right, take it. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

“If you need me I will hear: we’re connected.” He made his feelings known.

“So, you’re playing the connected card? Good move.” Val hugged him, he stepped away and disappeared.

“Ok Sam, what now?” She felt on edge without Zac, but trusted Sam knew what he was doing.

“We can’t teleport without them picking up our signals, and we need the element of surprise. We are going to head to where I think the High Judges are being held. I need you to be ready when we arrive for an attack. They won’t play with you like they did on Nyteria. They
were trying to trick us then and now they have no need to keep us alive. They want to kill you. Do you understand what I’m saying Val?” He was more serious that she had ever seen him.

“Hey, people want to kill me all the time.” She grinned trying to lift the mood.

He gripped her arm. “This is no game! I can’t save you again. We have to get to the High Judges at any cost.”